HDAW 2006 UPDATE             REGULATORY REPORT         

SUPPLIER NEWS                  PEOPLE IN THE NEWS                 

ASSOCIATION NEWS            FACTOID

HDAW 2006 UPDATE

Exhibit Space Selling Quickly for First Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week

Almost 60 percent of the exhibit space has been sold for the first-ever Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW), set for Jan. 23-27, 2006, at The Mirage in Las Vegas. According to show manager Bill Glasgow Sr. of W.T. Glasgow, Inc., contracts have been received from 96 exhibitors to date. HDDA members are reminded of the Aug. 1, 2005 deadline for exhibitor registration. Member exhibitors also will be eligible to participate in the important one-on-one business meetings scheduled during HDAW, and the first mailings for these meetings will be made in August.    

�We recently mailed our exhibitor prospectus out to 2,000 companies,� Glasgow said. �Our office has fielded many calls and e-mails regarding this show. Interest in participating in the conference is very high, and companies wishing to exhibit should act fast.�
   
Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week will feature seminars, a trade show, award presentations, one-on-one meetings, a reception and other networking opportunities for companies in the independent heavy-duty aftermarket.

Event organizers are the Heavy Duty Distribution Association (HDDA) and the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA). For more information about Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, visit www.hdaw.org. 

Companies interested in exhibiting should contact W.T. Glasgow, Inc., HDAW show management, at 708-226-1300 or e-mail info@hdaw.org. HDDA liaison Lee Kadrich also is available to answer questions and assist members at 301-654-6664 or e-mail lee.kadrich@aftermarket.org.

National Parts/Service Guide Coincides With Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week

A new parts and service buyers guide featuring manufacturers, distributors, heavy duty specialists and marketing groups, will be produced in conjunction with the industry�s first-ever Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW), Jan. 23-27 in Las Vegas.

Published under an agreement between HDAW and Newport Communications Group, the guide will appear in the January issue of Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT). An online, interactive version will be carried on Newport�s Web site, Truckinginfo.com. In addition to HDT's 103,000-plus fleet circulation, 30,000 bonus printed copies will be distributed at parts counters nationwide.

Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week will feature the leading aftermarket organizations� meetings and events in one place and one week, as well as include training and educational sessions, one-on-one business meetings, social functions and an aftermarket-focused trade show.

The new National Parts & Service Buyers Guide will include listings for HDDA members as well as members of Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association; Council of Fleet Specialists; Heavy Duty America; Heavy Duty Remanufacturers Group; National Wheel & Rim Association; Overseas Automotive Council; Power Heavy Duty; Service Specialists Association; and others.

The guide will be produced in a new, easy-to-use format to enable truck operators to quickly locate and communicate with parts and repair centers coast-to-coast, said HDT publisher Marty McClellan. �Our online version will offer the customer the added value of instant interaction with parts and service suppliers.�

For more information on the National Parts & Service Buyers Guide, contact Susan Patterson, Newport Communications, at 949-261-1636 or e-mail spatterson@truckinginfo.com.

REGULATORY REPORT

ATA Asks California Not to Enforce CARB Particulate Designation

American Trucking Associations (ATA) told a state judge that he should block the California Air Resources Board (CARB) from enforcing a regulation that classifies particulate matter from diesel exhaust as a �toxic air contaminant.�

Classifying PM, or soot, as a toxic contaminant would open the door to more stringent regulation, and could have ramifications beyond California, officials said during a two-day trial that began June 28 in Fresno, Calif.

Glen Kedzie, ATA assistant general counsel, said if the court upholds CARB�s designation, other states could use it as the basis for similar or even tougher diesel-exhaust rules.

Source: Transport Topics, July 18, 2005

SUPPLIER NEWS

Dana Reports Lower Second Quarter Earnings; Cites High Steel Costs

Dana Corp. said in a statement this week its net income fell to $51 million or 34 cents a share, from $110 million or 73 cents a year earlier. Sales rose 13 percent to $2.63 billion, helped by demand for heavy-truck parts.

In reporting its fourth straight earnings decline, the company said some of its automaker customers built fewer vehicles and that it paid more for steel. Citing high steel prices, it had reported a 72 percent drop year-over-year in its first-quarter profit. Steel costs, which contributed to profit declines the previous three quarters, lowered earnings by $27 million for the second quarter.

Dana's two largest customers, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., reduced North American production in the quarter to trim inventory. Output fell 10 percent at GM and 4.8 percent at Ford.

Dana CEO Michael Burns lowered his full-year North American automotive production forecast to 15.5 million vehicles from 15.7 million, but kept the 2005 earnings forecast at $1.30 to $1.45 a share. Net income last year was $82 million, or 54 cents a share.

Source: Transport Topics, July 20, 2005

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Peters Departing From Post as FHWA Administrator

Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters is stepping down after nearly four years as the nation's top highway official, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced last week. Peters informed Department of Transportation secretary Norman Mineta of her plans to return home to be with family in Phoenix. FHWA deputy administrator Rick Capka will serve as acting administrator when Peters departs at the end of July.

During her FHWA tenure, Peters moved the agency toward finding new and more effective methods of investing in highway and bridge projects, primarily through greater private-sector investment. She encouraged the use of new technologies that reduce construction time and expense and result in safer, longer-lasting highways, led a national campaign to improve safety in highway work zones and worked to streamline the decision-making process for major transportation projects.

Peters was director of the Arizona Department of Transportation when nominated by President Bush for the federal post four years ago.
 
Source: Transport Topics, July 14, 2005

Runge Leaving as NHTSA Chief

Dr. Jeffrey Runge will be leaving as head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in late August. Runge will take a new position as chief medical officer for the Homeland Security Department, where he will coordinate Homeland�s response to biological and other catastrophic attacks. A former emergency-room physician, Runge helped NHTSA achieve the lowest highway fatality rate and the highest safety belt usage rate in U.S. history. He focused on seatbelt enforcement, anti-rollover systems and child safety. He was the advocate of "Click it or Ticket" programs initiated in Michigan and nationwide. Runge headed NHTSA for four years.

Clarence Ditlow, Center for Auto Safety, says Runge's legacy has yet to be determined.

Source: Automotive Digest, July 21, 2005

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Early-Bird Deadline and Hotel Discount Extended for Aftermarket Financial Symposium

The enhanced 2005/2006 Aftermarket eFactbook, released by AAIA, is now available with new features that allow users to print pages and �copy and paste� data.

With identical content to the Factbook, users of the eFactbook can access information from the CD-ROM, whether in the office or on the road. Charts and tables can be printed or copied and pasted into Excel, PowerPoint and other software packages.

�The new version of the eFactbook is a direct response to requests from our members to allow the ability to print Factbook pages or copy and paste sections to use in presentations," said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO.

The 2005/2006 Aftermarket eFactbook and Factbook include information on:

• Overall size of the automotive (i.e., light duty) aftermarket.
• Overall size of the heavy duty aftermarket.
• Key aftermarket segments (paint & body equipment, tools and equipment, etc.)
• DIY and DIFM consumer trends.
• Vehicle registrations.
• Vehicle sales.
• Vehicle usage statistics and operating costs.
• Miles driven.
• Purchases of aftermarket accessories.
• Sales of automotive chemicals and fluids.
• State summary statistics.
• U.S. trade data of motor vehicle parts and accessories.
• Information on the Chinese and Canadian aftermarkets.
• Key economic and financial indicators.
• Guide to aftermarket data resources.

The Aftermarket eFactbook is available to AAIA members for $199 and $299 to non-members. To order by phone, call 301-654-6664, or order online at www.aftermarket.org. Discounts are available for multiple copies.

New Online Training Courses Now Available

AAIA has teamed up with the Total Training Network (TTN) to provide members with online learning, with more than 350 courses covering 25 topics ranging from sales and management, to customer service and negotiating, to personal development and motivation and many others. Courses average 30 minutes in length, and have available printed student materials, and after each course is a short 10 to 15-question quiz. A certificate is available upon training completion. AAIA is offering an open enrollment for our members during July and August, and courses can be started in September. The cost is $100 per user per company for a year of unlimited courses, and is open to AAIA members only.

For more information or to enroll in the courses, contact Barbara Clark at 301-654-6664, or e-mail barbara.clark@aftermarket.org. Demo tapes of courses, as well as brochures about the courses, are also available from AAIA. For more information on TTN, visit www.ttnlearning.com.

FACTOID

Beginning this summer, Michelin is launching a 14-state, 22-stop, multi-city tour to demonstrate its line of truck tires and new technologies all aimed at educating its U.S. commercial truck tire dealers and their customers.

Source: Truckinginfo.com, July 21, 2005